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After stomping around San Francisco without a jacket in February, returning to the Midwest's dastardly temperatures forced me back indoors for several more weeks - minus March 15th when it was dry and warm enough (52 degrees) to venture out on the bikes for several hours, snow and all.
April passed by busily, still actively seeking permanent employment, which had become both promising & more bleak than ever, depending on the day. Finally in May, the paycheck Gods smiled down upon me in a very generous way. Not only did I hook up with a job I love & which pays well, but it is mere steps from my front door AND I was able to sneak in a visit with FRP in St. Louis (where the weather allowed for motorcycling only mine was in Wisconsin where temps hadn't caught up quite yet)...how cool is that?!?!
Days off I'm up at the crack of dawn, licking a finger, deciding which way the wind, and therefore my hair, shall blow. I've had to adjust to once again being a weekend only warrior, but relieved to have plenty of time, $$ and destinations to keep my wheels spinning, even if it is just around the state for now. Managed to log over 2,000 miles since the beginning of June and haven't complained once about the weather in weeks ~
It can feel like forever between winter and spring in Wisconsin, especially when you're eager to get back on the open road.
It was chap weather this morning when Rog & I started out on our clean & shiny Harleys, but soon warmed up to the balmy mid 50's, which gave us the opportunity to shed a layer for a couple of hours and enjoy the crisp, exhilarating breeze.
We stopped at one of our favorite spots for a much overdue, near perfect Bloody Mary; meandered through the Kettle Moraine Forest and were surprised to find the Hamburger Hut open for business so early in the season and took advantage of the small crowd waiting in line for a good old fashioned, greasy burger and a spot at the only seating available...outdoors, of course.
The sky is blue, the road is long and the snow is nearly melted...all is good ~
This is the latest look of our neighborhood!! It is so pretty for the eyes and makes Santa & the snowmobilers happy, but it is such a pain in the a$$ to drive in & shovel. What can a poor Midwestern gal, who should be living in the tropics anyway, do? Bundle up for a walk and take snowy pictures. I've posted so many this past week on Flickr, that people think I'm making this stuff up in Photoshop!! Count your blessings if your worst winter weather concern is a drop in temperature and count your blessings anyway. Happy Harley Days to All ~
Roger is always on the hunt, usually for wild game, but for some time it's been a hunt for a Harley upgrade. He recently encountered a dark gray 2009 that suited him, took a shot, and drove home a bargain...with snow on the ground and 34F degrees in the wind!! Out with the old, in with the new...and except for the 'new' smell & shininess, you would hardly notice the difference...but they're there, all four hundred or so of them!
Happy riding, honey, she's a beauty!! Maybe you can keep up with me now *-*
...but, oh, how I wish it was the last!! This dusting of Mother Nature's frozen dandruff existed less than an hour and let's just say...it was 59 minutes longer than necessary, for I get the point...no aimless motorcycling in the forecast :-((
How I ended up in the frozen tundra, especially since my little birds all flew the coop, for the most part, to warmer climates, is beyond my comprehension. I spent sporadic years attempting to root myself in various other parts of the country, but for time worn reasons & fairy tale rhymes, I would migrate back "home" to Wisconsin.
One day, the sooner the better, I will grab the bull by the horns and steer myself towards a place where the weather alone won't institutionalize me. In the mean time, I'll rub my hands together, don my feet with extra fleece and wear hats indoors while I conjure up my ideal destination. ~
...not good news, but fact.
Time is ticking - summertime is nearing its end...I know this for sure because we closed the pool yesterday - even though its clear, clean water was so pretty and soothing to look at, it became too cold over the past 2 weeks to enjoy actually diving into. And the garden, although not quite done producing, is looking slightly pitiful, with browning leaves and spindly tomato vines barley hanging on to their life source.
The days are still long and warm enough to hop on the bike and ride with abandon; the scenery as beautiful and vivid as ever - a tad less green though, a bit more yellow and golden. Because of my camera, I made new friends along the road this week - two of them are horses!
A pig roast today on the Martin ranch later today, which will be a good time; no matter what's going on at the Martin ranch, it turns into a story to share! I'm making a garden/pasta salad to take along, if I don't sample it to death before its time to leave!
...so, the alarm is set for 3:30AM - double and triple checked - and for once I have no problem falling asleep without reading. What felt like several minutes later, I dreamily open my eyes, so proud of myself that I beat the alarm, but when the old eyes focus on the clock I scream &%@#?*, jump into a pair of sweats, grab my cell phone, flip-flops and keys and fly out the door.
I waited until I was out of the driveway before placing the apology call to my waiting daughter - I had to let the panic subside, remind myself that she's over 21 and for the love of Pete and she'll manage. Her phone went right to voice mail - a good sign for me - so I left my "Mommy's on her way" message and got down to the business of driving the four-wheeled vehicle, which I have only driven one other time since May.
The condensed version is that her plane was briefly delayed, her luggage took forever and I ended up waiting for her - go figure! So we return home, where I plan to finish my nap before Thursday's all day/night H.O.G. festivities at Miller Park (back in Milwaukee where the airport is!) But the next thing I know, I'm cooking a royal breakfast, the phone is going bonkers, Roger ran to do an errand, my daughter is on the couch and I just want to sleep!
A 3 hour nap did occur and we were well on our way to Milwaukee by 1:30. Again, we made plans to meet up with two other couples and again, after 2 false alarms, over 30 minutes in line for beverages, and 4 cell phone calls between us, we gave up looking for them in the estimated crowd of 80,000 and just started enjoying the day.
We took in a bit of Billy Bob Thornton's Band, some Joan Jett, a couple of national motorcycle stunt teams, comedian Lewis Black, as well as the entire performances of Sugarland and Kid Rock. And...we ran into one of the guys we tried finding the night before in West Bend!!
Another honest to God, you had to see it to believe it event, and other than not meeting up with our friends, which bummed me out, it was another memorably fun, perfect Wisconsin summer day. ~
For me the trip "home" for the 105th anniversary celebration of Harley-Davidson in Milwaukee, the city of my birth, was breeze - literally and figuratively, but regardless of the short distance I traveled to be there every day, I wouldn't have missed it for anything in the world!!
Roger & I started the weekend last Wednesday with a Lynyrd Skynyrd concert at Washington County Fairgrounds in West Bend, WI, another short 45 mile ride for us. We arrived about 30 minutes before the show to the staggering sight of what looked like 100,000 motorcycles, and I know what 100,000 bikes looks like from Sturgis and Daytona. All of those motorcycles in one spot was nothing short of utter awesomeness!! Such a sight also convinced us that it would be near impossible to find the group of friends we had planned to meet.
The concert was great, even though I only caught occasional glimpses of the stage & band, they sounded fantastic - and yeah, I know, some folks take issue with the fact that they aren't the original group, but it's hard to tell by listening to them. That massive crowd was excited, entertained & pleased and there was no problem getting a cold beer - unlike the problem of not finding our friends, despite cell phone contact attempts - but we did run into a cousin and his family, whom I haven't seen in a couple of years!!
We made it home well before midnight, which was a good thing - my youngest was returning from a San Francisco trip and I agreed to be at the airport by 4:30AM - ugh!
